Digital watermarking is a process for modifying physical or electronic media to embed a machine-readable code into the media. The media may be modified such that the embedded code is imperceptible or nearly imperceptible to the user, yet may be detected through an automated detection process. Most commonly, digital watermarking is applied to media signals such as images, audio signals, and video signals. However, it may also be applied to other types of media objects, including documents (e.g., through line, word or character shifting), software, multi-dimensional graphics models, and surface textures of objects.
Digital watermarking systems typically have two primary components: an encoder that embeds the watermark in a host media signal, and a decoder that detects and reads the embedded watermark from a signal suspected of containing a watermark (a suspect signal). The encoder embeds a watermark by altering the host media signal. The reading component analyzes a suspect signal to detect whether a watermark is present. In applications where the watermark encodes information, the reader extracts this information from the detected watermark.
Several particular watermarking techniques have been developed. The reader is presumed to be familiar with the literature in this field. Particular techniques for embedding and detecting imperceptible watermarks in media signals are detailed in the assignee's copending application Ser. No. 09/503,881 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,260, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
One particular embodiment of the technology detailed herein is a system for enabling a user to associate a machine behavior with an object. That system includes a registration system and a database management system. The registration system enables a user to specify a machine behavior to be associated with an object via an object identifier. The database management system is in communication with the registration system, and receives/maintains records associating object identifiers with machine behaviors. Thus, the database management system is operable to receive object identifiers and, in response, to initiate the machine behavior or behaviors associated with those object identifiers.
The registration system can include a network interface that enables users to associate behaviors with object identifiers from remote client computers.
The object identifiers can comprise watermark identifiers which are embedded in watermarks on corresponding objects.
An exemplary machine behavior includes fetching a web site relating to an object carrying the object identifier.
The above-noted system can include a user interface that enables a user to view an image of an object along with an image of a behavior to be associated with the object. This interface can include a control that enables the user to associate the object with the behavior, and can be operable to communicate a database structure to the database management system specifying an object identifier for the object and a description of the behavior.
Another embodiment is a method for enabling a user to associate a machine behavior with an object. This method includes presenting a user interface enabling a user to specify an object and a machine behavior to be associated with the object; receiving a specification of an object and a behavior to be associated with that object; and updating a database with an entry specifying an object identifier of the object and the behavior. Thus, the database is operable to initiate the behavior in response to receiving an object identifier decoded from machine readable code on the object.
Specification of the object can include a registration identifier provided on the object or packaging of the object. The registration identifier can be embedded in a watermark on the object.
Further features will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.